Battle of Lincoln (1878)

The Battle of Lincoln occurred from 15 to 19 July 1878 during the Lincoln County War in New Mexico. The Lincoln County Regulators were besieged in the home of Alexander McSween, and they succeeded in holding off the besiegers before escaping and disbanding.

The Regulator leader Alexander McSween was targeted by Lawrence Murphy's faction at the climax of the war, with McSween attempting to have him and his wife Susan killed. Sheriff Pat Garrett tracked down Billy the Kid and the Regulators to Mexico, where he warned them that McSween, a mutual friend, would be killed upon returning to Lincoln. The Regulators rushed back to Lincoln, and they arrived at McSween's house, where they warned him to leave town before he could be killed. However, McSween refused to leave his home, and, as the Regulators debated with McSween, Sheriff George Peppin's deputized posse began to tip over carts around the house to create cover for a siege. Soon, John Kinney's intimidating bounty hunters joined forces with the posse. The besiegers opened fire on the house with massive volleys, and they unsuccessfully attempted to convince the Regulators to surrender. Instead, Billy the Kid insulted them, even shooting Charley Crawford dead from a distance after asking Sheriff Peppin if Crawford was among the besiegers. Both the besiegers and the Regulators were still in a stalemate at the end of the day, and the siege dragged on. On 18 July, Colonel Nathan Dudley and US Army Buffalo Soldiers arrived in the town to assist the besiegers. They continued barrages against the house, and they were persuaded to allow for Susan McSween to leave the house due to her civilian status. The soldiers then began to torch the house, forcing the Regulators to devise an escape plan. Billy the Kid, hiding in a large chest, was thrown from the second-floor window, and he burst out of the chest and fired at the soldiers. As he distracted the soldiers, the other Regulators came out of the side doors and also opened fire. Jose Chavez y Chavez, who had previously escaped the house, arrived with extra horses, allowing for the others to escape. Chavez, Doc Scurlock (with his girlfriend Yen Sun riding alongside him), and Billy the Kid succeeded in escaping with gunshot wounds, while Steve Stephens was gunned down during the escape attempt. Alexander McSween cheered them on as they fled, only to be sprayed with Gatling Gun fire. The Regulators succeeded in escaping, but, with their leader dead, they soon disbanded. Lawrence Murphy died from cancer that October, eliminating his faction as well.